Blake Lynch left his position as SVP and chief impact officer for WITF in Harrisburg, Pa., to run as a Democrat for Congress.
Lynch confirmed his candidacy in an interview with the Pennsylvania Capital Star, a nonprofit news site.
Lynch joined WITF in 2021 and oversaw community engagement, fundraising, corporate sponsorship and marketing. He previously worked as director of community relations and engagement for the city of Harrisburg, serving as a liaison between local police and the surrounding area. He has also been director of development for the Boys & Girls Club of Harrisburg.
Michelle Shanahan joined America’s Public Television Stations as general counsel.
Shanahan previously worked for NPR as deputy general counsel and assistant secretary. Shanahan joined NPR’s legal team in 1997 after working for private law firms and left the network last year.
“She has decades of experience in nonprofit governance, technology law, digital privacy, content licensing and transactional negotiations. She will be a great asset to our stations on a broad variety of legal and regulatory issues arising in our media industry,” said APTS EVP and COO Lonna Thompson in a news release.
PBS Reno in Nevada announced two staff changes.
Allison Hartmann became a membership outreach coordinator. Hartmann most recently worked as membership coordinator for the Boys and Girls Club of Truckee Meadows in Reno, a nonprofit she joined in 2019. “Hartmann’s passion for serving her community makes her a perfect fit here at PBS Reno,” said Emma Glenn, VP of development, in a news release. “That passion is what maintains and strengthens our membership database, which is crucial to PBS Reno’s success and ability to reach more viewers in the future.”
Melissa Peel is now a programming assistant. Peel joined PBS Reno in 2015 as a broadcast content operator. “Being a part of PBS Reno has filled my heart with purpose and a sense of duty,” said Peel in the news release. “I am overjoyed with the amount of children’s education services that we provide northern Nevada. The opportunity to continue working with a team of people who are extraordinarily dedicated to the community has me delighted!”
Development
Elton Langland announced on LinkedIn that he has become a national account executive for American Public Media. Langland previously worked for Market Enginuity as a senior account executive of audio strategies. He was also director of sponsor alliances for Public Radio International and senior account executive for Minnesota Public Radio.
Content
NPR reporter Bobby Allyn was promoted from tech reporter to tech correspondent. Allyn joined NPR in 2019 as a general assignment reporter. He previously worked as a courts and criminal justice reporter for WHYY in Philadelphia and a reporter for Nashville Public Radio.
Callie Crossley stepped down as host of Basic Black, a weekly program produced by GBH in Boston. Originally called Say Brother, Basic Black has been on the air since 1968. Crossley has hosted the program since 2008. She will continue to host the weekly radio program Under the Radar and will co-host a new program called The Culture Show starting this month.
Tim Rasmussen, CCO of Connecticut Public, is leaving the station Dec. 1. Rasmussen joined the station in 2019 after working as director of photography, digital and print media for ESPN. He has also held managerial photography positions at the Sun Sentinel in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., the Denver Post and The Free Lance–Star in Fredericksburg, Va.
Walter Smith Randolph announced that he’s leaving his post as investigative editor and lead reporter for The Accountability Project, an investigative reporting team at Connecticut Public. Randolph told The Laurel that he will work as an EP for WCBS-TV in New York City. Randolph joined Connecticut Public in 2021.
Hildy Ko retired from her position as PD for Arizona Public Media. Ko joined the station in 2016. Before that she held several positions with KCTS in Seattle, including television programming manager, traffic specialist, program assistant and member services representative. She has also served on the American Public Television premium services advisory committee, the board for the Public Television Programming Association, and the PBS Advisory Council.
Molly Solomon became senior editor of California politics and government for KQED in San Francisco. Solomon previously worked for KQED as a housing affordability reporter and more recently as editor-at-large. She was election editor and project manager for The California Newsroom, a collaboration between NPR and member stations. She has also been a bureau chief for Oregon Public Broadcasting and a reporter for Hawaii Public Radio.
Kassidy Arena was hired as a senior reporter for Nebraska Public Media. She previously worked as an engagement producer for KBIA in Columbia, Mo. She was also a reporter for Iowa Public Radio.
Linda Kenyon became the Washington, D.C., correspondent for Illinois Public Media. Kenyon most recently worked as an anchor and reporter for CBS News Radio. “With the rise of social media and a steep decline in the number of Washington-based newspaper reporters, the role of local public media is more important than ever,” said Moss Bresnahan, executive director for Illinois Public Media, in a news release. “Linda will cover the news out of Washington that impacts daily life here in Illinois, and this expanded and trusted news coverage will help the public to make informed decisions, hear diverse perspectives, and hold elected officials accountable when it comes to the next election cycle.”
Julia Barajas became a community colleges reporter for LAist in Los Angeles. “The California Community Colleges system is the largest in the country, with the potential to transform students’ lives,” Barajas said in a post on the station’s website. “I plan to dig deep into issues that can shape their success, including the accessibility of financial aid; support systems for students who are struggling; and the quality of course offerings and career training programs.” Barajas joined LAist in 2021 as a higher education reporter and more recently worked as a community engagement reporter.
Carol Daniel will host Listen, St. Louis, a new 30-minute podcast for Nine PBS. Daniel joined the station in September after working as a host for KMOX, a commercial radio station in St. Louis. She was also a co-host for Great Day St. Louis for KMOV, a CBS affiliate. “One of my goals in joining the Nine PBS team was to take a new, innovative approach to storytelling in content that explores the critical issues facing underrepresented communities in our region,” said Daniel. “From education to politics to healthcare to employment, I want to find out what’s holding us back and how we can move forward together.”
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